Chronometric-spring indicator.



F. O. HOWARD.

GHRONOMETRIU SPRING INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28. 1913.

1,101,443, Patented June 23, 1914.

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FREDERICK C. HOWARD, OF SPOYANE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNQR OF ONE-HALF TO FREDERICK C. DAHLIN, 01" SPOKANE, VIASHINGTON.

- CHRONOMETRIC-SPRING INDICATOR.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, Fnnnnniox G. l'lO\VARD a citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of IVashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ChronometricSpring Indicators; and I do hereby declare the followin to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in winding indicators for watches and the like, and has particular reference to that type of indicators by which the number of hours that the watch will run, under normal conditions, may be readily ascertained.

As its principal object, this invention contemplates the provision of a winding indicator which may be readily applied to any watch or clock of standard make, and by inspection of which the observer may readily determine whether or not the main spring is fully or partially wound or run down.

A still further object of this invention resides in the provision of an indicator in which the indicating arm is automatically returned to its initial position upon the rewinding of the main spring.

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification and then more particularly pointed out in the claim which is appended hereto and forms a part of this application.

With reference to the drawings, wherein I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention as it is reduced to practice, and throughout the several views of which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a clock dial equipped with a modified form of the indicator; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a section 011 the line 66 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing the numeral 20 indicates a pinion wheel keyed to the main shaft 21 of a main spring 22. Arranged for sliding contact with the inner face of the clock dial 28 is a rack bar 2a, one terminal of which carries a laterally projecting pin Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 28, 1913.

Patented June 23, 1914.

Serial No. 757,461.

25, operating in a horizontally extending slot 26 formed on the face of the dial. The pin 25 is provided with a headed portion 27, which may be formed with an upwardly extending arm 28 adapted to serve as an indicator arm and arranged to move across the graduations 29 formed on the face of the clock dial 23 and immediately above the slot 26. lVhile the ratio of the number of teeth formed on the rack bar 24 to the number of teeth on the periphery of the pinion 20 is an arbitrary matter governed entirely by the conditions concurrent with the application of the device, it may nevertheless be set forth by way of explanation that in practice it is sometimes desirable to construct the rack bar with a hundred teeth and the pinion with ten teeth, this ratio having been found to be the most efficient and practical in moving the indicator arm 28 the required distance across the face of the clock dial.

The operation of the invention is as follows: The rewinding of the main spring acts to draw the rack bar to the right of the clock dial, thus bringing the indicator arm 28 in registration with the up mark on the clock face, and, as the main spring expands, the pinion 2O acts to move the rack bar across the face of the clock dial toward the left, thus advancing the indicator arm 28 over the graduation marks 29, and finally into registration with the down mark.

In reduction to practice, I have found that the form of my invention, illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, as the preferred embodiment, is the most efficient and practical; yet, realizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my device will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required, without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention, as defined in the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A chronometric spring indicator comprising a pinion fixed to the main spring shaft, a horizontally sliding rack bar provided with rack teeth on its lower edge in mesh with the teeth of the pinion, a dial provided with a horizontal slot and adjacent indicator In testimony whereof I afiix my signature scale, said rack bar having a pin projecting in presence of two Witnesses. from one slde near the end thereof through FREDERICK C. HOW ARI).

said slot, and a pointer arm connected to i said pin to move across said slot to indicate VVi-tnesses:

the condition of the main spring of the HARRY M. MoREY, chronometer. C. D. CLEEK.

copies of thh patent may be obtained (or five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of intents.

Washington, D. 0. 

